Telephone safety

On certain occasions, we may reach out to you by phone. If you receive a phone call from someone claiming to be your financial institution:

Remember we will never ask you for your personal information (like your Account Center password, your Social Security number, or your credit card account number) if we call you. Never give out personal information or account details unless you’ve initiated the call.

If you are at all uncertain about the individual contacting you by telephone, hang up and call us at the number on the back of your credit card or your billing statement.

If you are in public, be sure not to share personal information over the phone where others could overhear.

Protect yourself from “vishing”

Vishing is a term used for fraudulent telephone calls that request personal information about you or your accounts (i.e. credit card numbers, bank account information, or passwords). The callers usually impersonate employees from legitimate, credible financial institutions with which you have existing business relationships.

If you receive an unexpected or unsolicited telephone call and you suspect it may be part of a vishing scheme, we recommend following three simple rules:

Stop. Vishers will typically present an alarming or enticing statement, with the goal of getting you to respond immediately and provide personal or financial information; resist the impulse to react before you’ve checked the information thoroughly.

Think. Closely review any claims made on the call, and think about whether those claims make sense. Be suspicious if the caller asks you to provide personal information like your Social Security number or any account numbers, user names, or passwords.

Call. If you’re unsure about a phone call claiming to be from a legitimate financial institution, contact the company directly to determine if they originated the call. Use the telephone number printed on a billing statement or the back of your credit card.

Examples:
Some common examples of vishing include calls that:

Claim to be from a financial institution, but require you to provide your Social Security number or account number to discuss the account. Legitimate financial institutions already have your information in their records and will not ask you to provide this information over the telephone.

Indicate you have won a prize or are entitled to receive a special offer, but ask you for financial information. While legitimate financial institutions may offer promotions, they will not require extensive personal or financial information to claim the benefit.

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